Ken Derminer was a young man who had decided to be someone great. He knew he had to attend college to achieve his goal of being a doctor. His interest was the human genome. He thought a scholarship would be possible if he would get involved in a sport. He chose football. He felt with his best efforts that he would succeed.

After being cleared with a basic physical he joined a football training minicamp at school. He had a cardiac arrest from an undiagnosed heart condition and died while at football practice at the local high school on 6/7/00. He was 17 years old.

KEN (Kids Endangered Now) Heart Foundation was founded by Ken Derminer’s parents Mark and Linette, along with family and friends. The organization is devoted to educating schools, athletes and the community about sudden cardiac arrest and death in young people and implementing prevention efforts.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading medical cause of fatalities on school property for student athletes!

Hundreds, if not thousands of children and young adults die of sudden cardiac death each year. Nearly all are preventable.

In 1996 the American Heart Association reported that better cardiac prescreening physicals for young athletes could prevent many of the deaths in youths caused by sudden cardiac arrest. Many physicians feel simple non invasive tests can screen for conditions that can lead to cardiac arrest.

The American Heart Association also reports that early access to CPR and defibrillation increases survival rates.

We invite you to help us prevent fatalities among our young people with programs within schools and youth athletic leagues.